Girls cross-country: North Jersey team-by-team previews for the 2022 season
Big North
AMERICAN
Cliffside Park has a very young team but one of the best runners in the league in junior Leah Fedouchik. Sophomore Stephanie Lack put in a lot of work this summer and soph newcomer Maria Hernandez could give the Red Raiders a potent up front trio.
Dwight Morrow might be ready to contend for a league title. The Maroon Raiders return juniors Salome Lokesh, Emily Bankowski, and Layla Sampson and sophs Tabitha Sohn and Kimberley Jang and add senior first year cross-country runner Gabriela Gutierrez-Villamil.
Dumont has a veteran roster with seniors Sarah Lynch, Gina Keefe, Rachel Reagan and Kaitlyn Reuter and adds senior Samantha Paez and soph Abigail Glick. But the Huskies need to stay healthy to have a chance to convert that experience into progress.
Fort Lee hopes to defend it's championship and has an outstanding senior class in all-league selection Diana Valentini, Aryiadna Yesmanchyk and Hannah Choi. Juniors Tabitha Reed and Katelyn Park have shown great improvement and soph newcomer Nova Green will add depth.
Ridgefield Park returns a strong quartet in senior Josephine Carroll, junior Gabriela Ramos and sophs Riley Fucci and Juliana Giraldo Tabares. Soph Brianna Harris joins after a strong spring track season and the Scarlets hope to contend for the league title.
FREEDOM
Hackensack is rebuilding after losing its entire varsity and hopes junior captain Maria Davila and its lone senior, Liz Expana, can hasten the process.
Northern Highlands is perennially one of the top teams in the league, Bergen County and New Jersey group 3 and this year is no exception. The Highlanders are led by juniors Rebecca Maclaren and Autumn Ritter and soph Farrah Dello Russo and have great depth led by seniors Margaret Bainbridge and Olivia Flynn. Adding junior track distance star Alison Courtenay and a promising freshman class should make for an exciting fall.
Paramus could be a surprising team at the county and sectional level. The Spartans have upfront talent in junior Hana Weisinger and soph Mary Daclan and good depth with seniors Erin Jyung, Maura Donoghue and Sei Park. The league is tough but Paramus could be a team on the rise.
Watch out for Ramapo which has never finished higher than fourth at BMOC and has never won a sectional. The Green Raiders are loaded with talent and finally have some depth to go with it. Senior Brianna Braver is a sectional champ and classmates Carly Griffin and Sam Judd are greatly improved. Junior returnees Amelia Keogh and Sophia DelBuono have great ability as well. But what makes Ramapo especially dangerous this year are three spring track athletes coming over from soccer, junior Anna Wezner and sophs Brianna Potaki and Micaela Chamberlin. If they adapt quickly to the 5,000 meter distance, the sky is the limit.
Ridgewood graduated the greatest cross-country class in North Jersey history, with six seniors now running Division 1. The three-time New Jersey SMOC runners-up return only juniors Cellina Rabolli and Avery Sheridan from last year's team but have nearly a dozen solid runners ready to make the step to varsity including Katie Adams, Ayla Cooke, Olivia Favien, Eva and Lola Jacquline, Eilat Kissel, Sofia Lanzisera, Amanda Shattuck and Ciara Taylor. Those girls have the chance to write their own story.
INDEPENDENCE
Fair Lawn did not submit any information.
Lakeland had the best season in the program's history last year and graduated the best high school distance runner in North Jersey (if not New Jersey) history in Angelina Perez as well as two all-time Passaic County greats in Abby Horevay and Caitlin Fahy. But the cupboard is far from bare and the Lancers look to defend their league, Passaic County and state sectional titles behind an impressive quartet of seniors Morgan Uhlhorn and Reaghan Lamascola, junior Kayla Bernhardt and soph Brianna Fahy. Alexa Goll will add depth.
Passaic Valley is much improved led by North 2 group 2 sectional runner-up Katharine Cottone, senior Angelina Perez (obviously a different one), and senior Amani Sampson. Junior Mayya Alva has stepped up to give the Hornets a fine top 4. Depth is their only question mark.
Wayne Hills may have a full varsity team this year led by senior Gina Lee. But the big news for the Patriots is the transfer of junior Kara Langbaum, one of the area's top middle distance runners to cross-country from soccer.
Senior Beth Cummings, junior Orly Ovadia and soph Alexa Longa hope to lead Wayne Valley into the first division especially if the Indians can develop some depth.
West Milford is led by junior Lauren Frey, an all-Passaic candidate. Seniors Joan Marra, Keira McGovern, Emily Coppola and Anna Schweighart provide depth and leadership.
LIBERTY
Bergen Tech has a senior standout in Nicole Lesiczka and returns some other varsity talent in senior Danae Wu and junior Sofia Degabriel.
Clifton has one of the top runners in the state in senior Remy Dubac, who finished fifth in the SMOC last fall and won the group 4 state title. Juniors Viktoria and Olivia Green and Deboah Amoh return along with sophomore Hala Mohamed. The Mustangs will be contenders in every race they run.
Eastside did not submit any information.
Seniors Samantha Espinal and Rachel Kennedy and soph Channel Facey lead a rebuilding Kennedy team.
Passaic is a team on the rise with returnees Jasmin Silva Vargas, Emily Aguilera and Michelle Sarmento joined Nicole Hernandez and Quetzalee Grande Jimenez for a formidable top five.
Passaic Tech has a new coach in Yvonne Watson and some solid returnees in senior Alisa Ceka and soph Grace Napoli. Sophomore Danaida Rotte will add depth and the Bulldogs figure to improve later in the season.
NATIONAL
Bergenfield continues to rebuild with returning runners Sarah Sarmiento and Shruti Patel and newcomers Camryn Poon and Addison Russell.
Demarest returns seniors Lily Dipple and Elaine Kim and juniors Melissa Cen and Lihi Cohen and tries to extend its streak of qualifying for the state group 2 meet to eight straight years.
Old Tappan is loaded with talent, led by senior stars Kristen Johnson and Kate Meeks and soph Sophia Katechis. Senior Ariana DeNicola and junior Rowan Leddy return from the team that finished fourth in the state Group 3 meet and won its first sectional title since 2002. The Golden Knights won the first two BMOC titles in 1978 and 1979. They haven't won since, but this could be the year.
Pascack Valley returns soph Ellie Buchanan and welcomes first year senior Taylor Spence to the building program.
Teaneck continues to build it's program behind junior Lydia Roja and sophs Annabel Cruz and Sofia Melo.
Tenafly should remain in the first division led by seniors Hana Hyman, Tamar Peleg and Alex Yang and juniors Sophie Cheesman and Ayla Uram.
PATRIOT
Indian Hills moves to a new division with a new head coach Pete Tuohy and with returning runners like senior Kayla O'Neil, junior Alyssa Maybeck and sophs Camryn Finn, Summer Myhren and Sam Goworek and the return from a year off of senior Anne Barney they could contend immediately.
Mahwah returns an outstanding senior trio of Zoe Merryman, Ally Klanke and Madelyn Lowe-Massi. If the Thunderbirds can develop some depth they could surprise.
Pascack Hills did not submit any information.
Ramsey did not submit any information.
River Dell is always a team to watch. With one of the state's most versatile and talented runners in junior Christina Allen, the state 3,200 meter champ in 2021 and 800 meter titlist in 2022, they'll be a team to watch this year. But it's the talent and depth that could make them a championship team. Seniors Sarah Cookson, Gianna Grisham and Miranda Peralta, junior Izzy Gabay and sophs Kristen Smerdon and Erin Hoogstrate also return, bolstered by the cross-country debuts of both senior Rachel Mills and soph Noa Kizherman.
Westwood has a new coach in Bethany Kazimir and she welcomes back juniors Madison Carrazana and Sophia Piccinich and has a good newcomer in freshman Ava Colella.
UNITED
DePaul did not submit any information.
Holy Angels did not submit any information.
IHA returns one of the top runners in the state in senior Leanna Johnston and has a pair of very good runners in Meaghan Keating and Emily Wunsch. Clodagh Moore, Marcelle Seckin and Reagan Scarpelli will help create the depth that the Blue Eagles to create their team goals.
Paramus Catholic is improving and junior Jasmine Perez and soph Maya Vime-Olive return. But it's first year senior Sarah Dickson that could prove to be the Paladin's number one.
NJIC
COLONIAL
New head coach David Dorsey joins Becton and has seniors Kyla Groh and Segall Sanchez and soph Liliana Bravo to help build the Wildcats into a contender.
Dwight-Englewood also has a new hed coach in Ryan Vettoso and has returning runners Razil Fernandes and Uma Ragan. Charlotte Stroff had an excellent track season and runs cross-country for the first time.
Eastern Christian did not submit any information.
Elmwood Park has a new coach in Megan Barretto and returns a fairly large team led by seniors Francesca Carrillo and Sandra Niedojadlo.
Garfield head coach Meghan DeCarlo reached 100 dual meet wins last fall and starts on her next 100 with a young group that includes returning runners juniors Vrianna Cruz and Ashley Jimenez and soph Kasia Kapolka. Soph Daniela Rodriguez and freshman Julia Jablonska heads a large incoming group that is learning how to compete.
Glen Rock should have a solid pack team with seniors Emma Leischear, Mikaila Terry and Cailin Horton and juniors Lily McNair and Abbie Manley the leaders.
Harrison did not submit any information.
Leonia hasn't won a league title in 13 years. The returning quartet of seniors Nina Twomey, Daniella Ruiz, and Kierstyn Klingner and junior Sasha Raskin can change that, especially with help from newcomers soph Samantha Giangarra and freshman Angelica Do.
Lodi is building a program with Chelsea Jimenez, Maya Anand, Natalie Rivera and Alexandra Pereira showing the way.
Lyndhurst did not submit any information.
Rutherford returns all of its top runners from last year, senior Naomi Castellanos, juniors Jodi DeSalvo and Mia Luciano and sophs Mia Zicchinella and Tristan Greeley and hopes junior Zadie Castellanos and freshman Maya Tenn can make the step to help the Bulldogs contend for a title.
MEADOWLANDS
Butler did not submit any information.
Hasbrouck Heights has only senior on the team, Charmy Chauhan. But sophomores Mackenzie Bua, Lexi Powers, Silvia Andrade, Mae Velicky and Ali Monchino were all varsity regulars last year and they're joined by soph Ellie Shkreli and junior Shantal Urgiles this year. The Aviators should be in contention for league, county group and state sectional titles again.
Immaculate Conception did not submit any information.
New Milford has a sign up sheet with lots of new runners, but returns only sophomore Asya Ildiz. Juniors Amaya Carruthers, Grace Lampmann and McKenzie Forte should help New Milford field a competitive team.
North Arlington is rebuilding behind senior Delia Lazek.
Palisades Park is rebuilding behind new head coach William Hutchinson and top runner Valerie Ramirez.
Pompton Lakes has a solid top four with senior Emily Pruksa, junior Bella Polizzi and sophs Grace Ruitenberg and Julia Pollack. The Cardinals should make some noise in the division.
Saddle Brook has just two seniors, first year runner Skyler McGuire and Natalie Murga and two solid juniors in Jelin Kayar and Briana Reyes
Saddle River Day did not submit any information.
Secaucus has lost only one senior from last year's team which qualified for states for the 11th time in 12 years. A strong 1-2 punch in senior Haley Nowak and junior Deborah Biru will help the Patriots make it 12 of 13. How seniors Aarti Advani and Pooja Parikh, junior Margaret Furman and sophs Aarya Shroff and Julianna Tango develop will determine whether they can win a league or sectional crown.
PATRIOT
Bergen Charter did not submit any information.
Bogota hopes to remain undefeated for the fifth straight year and win a league title behind the talents of senior Amandine Fernandez and junior Isabel Michel. Senior Denisse Sotomayor provides great leadership and the Bucs have their best freshman turnout in years.
Cresskill returns senior Danielle Tilp, who is one of the best and most consistent runners in both North Jersey and state Group 1. Senior Sophia Zypman and junior Yuli Melamud lead the returnees and newcomer Taleen Atakhanian provides depth as the Cougars vie for a league title.
Hawthorne Christian has a very good upfront duo of senior Abby Camacho and junior Anna Rypkema and adds junior Sarah Cook and freshman Kara Bysterbusch to a team that was second in the division a year ago.
Midland Park did not submit any information.
PCSST did not submit any information.
Ridgefield did not submit any information.
St. Mary's did not submit any information.
Waldwick should be much improved as seniors Sophia Convertino and Kelly James, junior Francesca Fellmann and sophs Jessica James and Taylor Piekarz are joined by newcomer Karma Quiros.
Weehawken has two of the best runners in Hudson County in sophomores Astrid Taffarello and Kali McDonald and if Lila Williams and Tiki Dunn continue their development, the Indians could be a team to reckon with.
OTHERS
Kinnelon has a small but talented squad including junior sectional champ Grace Mougalian and sophs Hope Sirinides and Miranda Drace.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ girls cross-country: North Jersey team-by-team previews
